Brothers in Blood

by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach zt'l

Students of the Sanz Yeshiva in Netanya were in the midst of their holiday prayers on the morning of Shavuot when a nurse from nearly Lanyado Hospital came rushing in and excitedly called one of them outside. A patients life was at risk, she explained, and fresh blood was needed immediately. Some 70 of the young men there quickly interrupted their prayers and rushed to the hospital and succeeded in saving a life.

Shulamit Marom had entered the hospital in which her husband, who made aliya from Russian 12 years ago, serves as a gynecologist, to give an expected normal birth to her fourth child. Something went wrong and a pulmonary embolism brought her heartbeat to a standstill. In 90% of such cases the woman dies and the severe hemorrhaging of Shulamit posed a serious threat to her life. An alarm was sounded for 20 units of freshs O+ blood and staff members with such a blood type quickly responded. But it was not enough and the yeshiva next door was the only answer. Pints were taken from those with 0+ blood and Shulamit was saved. A 3.2 kilo healthy baby boy was delivered by caesarian section and all the donors were invited to his Brit Mila.

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